The Imposter

On the show earlier in the week (for podcast click radio show on Navbar above) we had nutritionist Carolyn Williams, Ph. D on to talk about her new book, “Meals That Heal,” which discusses the source of chronic inflammation in the body. The book offers a replete-with-beautiful pics blueprint on how to improve health through the elimination of processed foods.

Just coincidentally, I received that very day the following piece from a friend who sometimes writes in this publication. It details his experience with the much-ballyhooed Impossible Burger.

The question is: What’s better for you? The utterly-processed-to-taste-like-something-it’s-not burger, or the real one with animal fat?

My friend (known in this space as The Gourmet" Runner) offers no such judgments. He just passed on what his taste buds had to say about this current culinary media star. Allow extra points for a burger imposter you may see in an actual restaurant. His thoughts follow:

"As a guy, and lifelong athlete I confess to watching a lot of ESPN. I’ve noticed that of all the repetitive commercials there, the one that catches my eye most often is Burger King’s. They have to try harder. Sales reports place them way behind the other one. $10B annually to $36B for McDonald’s. It’s not that they haven’t tried, with their Chicken Fries and Mac’n’Cheetos, and their most successful Halloween Whopper. It had a black sesame seed bun and did scary things to your stomach.

Recently I’ve seen a new campaign on the Golf Channel and Fox Sports that made me curious. It claimed that you CANNOT tell the difference between the Whopper and the fake meat one. I have not had a Whopper since May 2008 when some friends and I left the Kentucky Derby a little hungover. I had to try this.

I will say the Impossible Whopper looked and smelled just like I remember. Maybe it’s the flame broiling that would make even a hairbrush edible. Still, I could not tell the difference between the plant version and the beef one, and I was not hungover this time.

This Impossible burger tasted exactly like the “real” one. Both have too much mayo for my taste, which is no mayo at all.

Conclusion: If you are a burger fan and the creepy large-headed Burger King satisfies your cravings, the Impossible Whopper may be a healthier alternative."

Editor’s note: Or would it? Either way, if you are inclined to accept the challenge food processors keep making about the fake burger, try it in a real restaurant. And send us your thoughts. We’re curious too. Just not that curious. tom@nomenu.com Oh, yes, One more thing. Mac’n’Cheetos????? C’mon.